A single inch of time – who wastes one’s youth?

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A single inch of time – who wastes their youth? How many times do flowers drift in dreams? How much joy is there in life? A single inch of time – who wastes their youth? Among thousands of rivers, take just one scoop to draw from. May you enjoy peace in Chang’an for a lifetime; stay by the emperor’s side, never departing. The cuckoos cry out in sorrow, while the spring waters flow softly. Amid thousands of miles of water, under the dim moonlight of the night, as the tea cools down, my heart bleeds thinking of you. The scenery of the years is now well familiar; I long for those wonderful moments and beautiful times, with a lovely companion by my side. Traversing the long paths of this mortal world, I sang a tender ballad until dawn; on that day, amidst the green mountains and waters, I laid the foundation for a lifetime of love for you. A broken love story; let me turn sorrow and separation into poetry. On a spring night beneath the blossoms and moonlight, I take wine and drink alone; today it was but a dream like that of yellow millet – in that dream, I could never find a gentle presence. A world of colors means it’s always spring; constant longing embodies true affection. I listened to the meaning of flowers in a small town named Xinyu; returning to that place, I saw clusters of magnolias in bloom, kites flying in the wind on the square, and couples walking together as the spring breeze blew. Even if one doesn’t try to remember, the image of that young man in his white clothes remains indelibly etched in the heart. One scene after another – I cannot escape the passing of my youthful days. If you are well, I am in perfect happiness; swallows peck at the spring mud, and thinking of old friends is nothing but delusion on my part. The holidays are like a dream; little do we realize that when we wake up from that dream, it turns out to be nothing but an illusion, causing deep pain that reaches the very core of our being. One tree in full bloom, another in decline – the naturally beautiful crabapples adorn the garden in a dreamlike manner. My old dreams, when revisited, bring with them a temperature of zero degrees. Who said it was my luck to meet you at the best of my years? I think of my homeland and those I left behind; gazing up at the tall buildings, I see how all the prosperity has faded away as countless ships pass by. With a heart full of longing, the separated one’s tears wet their sleeves; turning away, they put an end to their feelings. I remain silent – with such a shallow fate in this life, how can I pray with sincerity? The small bridges and homes in the Colorful Village remain as they were; that day, the youth wore white clothes, and the land they wandered on was covered with flowers and plants. In the moonlit month of March, holding an oil-paper umbrella, I am not the girl from the small streets of the Jiangnan region, filled with sorrow like lilacs; nor am I the woman described by Zheng Chouyu as one who mistakenly hears the sound of her beloved returning. Strolling in the familiar evening courtyard, the bells of Chongqing Temple and the murmurs around me faded away in the atmosphere of Zen. If it is let go, I will regard it as my tender affection; at the top of the sky, that cloud continued to drift in the same direction. I recall that year, with its beautiful scenery and pleasant moments; I wrote of a tree in full bloom for you, forgot about the changes in weather, and gave up on withered leaves and broken branches for you. Turning around, tears streamed down like rain; I couldn’t withstand even a little time that passed. It’s my fault for overestimating myself. Looking back in vain, the stories that ended were like the fleeting beauty of a night-blooming flower. Tears flow uncontrollably; as I walk along familiar streets, amidst the lights and distractions, my vision blurs. At the next intersection, I don’t know which way to go. I am a dandelion carried by the wind; I’ve never had any sense of direction. The wind carries the fragrance to distant places, yet I remain spinning in place. At that restaurant, people kept coming and going, but I couldn’t see the one who warmed my heart. Among all the waters in the world, I will choose just one to drink from. Where are you? How can one with deep affection hope to cross the ends of the world? I’m still here, in the same place. If I can’t wait for the one who’s meant to come, then let me drink up the fate allotted to me in this life. A single inch of time – who wastes their youth? No pain if not asked; the words that have been invalidated – I halt in my steps